Synopsis for "The Flash"

Five years ago, it was the anniversary of Nora Allen's death, and as he had every year, her son Barry visited his father Henry in prison, and promised to prove his innocence. Every year, Barry would go over the case file for his mother's murder and search for any shred of evidence that might prove his father's innocence, and Henry Allen was growing tired of seeing his son waste his life on it. Finally, after so long, Henry couldn't stand it any longer, and admitted that he was guilty.

Having spent so much of his life on the search for the truth, Barry was distraught. He had only become a forensic scientist in order to facilitate that search, and if his father was guilty, it had all been for nothing. In confusion and rage, he smashed his tools and computer through the window of his lab, while the rain poured down. The storm raged, and unexpectedly, a bolt of lightning flashed through the open window, and struck Barry's chest, causing him to drop the chemical vials he was carrying. The chemicals burned at his skin while the electricity flowed through him, and Barry's life began to flash before his eyes as he was sure he was dying. He remembered how he had always been told that his father was guilty, but no matter how clear it might have been Barry could not believe that his father would murder his mother.

Barry survived the incident, and spent some time in the hospital, nearly comatose. He was visited by James Forrest, who reminded him that there were people who cared about him, and hoped he would get better. His friend Manuel Lago's mother visited with her homemade kare-kare, while Barry dreamed of his past.

His mother had been preparing him for weeks to participate in the spelling bee, and the time had come for Barry to put that practice to good use. Unfortunately, Nora couldn't attend the competition, because she had a double shift, and so Henry had to take him. However, Henry was preoccupied by the fact that he had just been served divorce papers. Nora had refused to talk about it until morning and went to work while Henry seethed and took Barry to his spelling bee.

Meanwhile, Darryl Frye visited Barry in the hospital with the news that he had been made Captain of the force. Not only that, but he had been given Barry's precinct to look after. Darryl had always considered Barry as a son, since he took the boy in when his mother was murdered and his father was arrested for it. Sadly, Darryl begged Barry to wake up, because he couldn't stand to go through another loss like Nora's in his life.

The morning after the spelling bee, Nora had come home from work, and was very proud when Barry revealed that he had won the whole competition, and got a big trophy. Unfortunately, Henry had been waiting all night to talk about the divorce, and so Nora asked Barry to tell her about his win later, and go to the bookstore for a while.

When Barry returned, he found the police had cordoned off his house, and his father was being shoved into the back of a police cruiser. Darryl Frye was on the scene, and as he explained that Barry's mother had been murdered, Henry shouted from inside the car that he didn't do it. Frye explained that he couldn't let Barry in, because they were looking for the evidence that would lead them to the truth, and find out who was responsible. Barry refused to listen, and rushed in, but he froze in his tracks at the sight of his mother collapsed in a pool of blood next to the knife that was the murder weapon. Sadly, Frye pulled Barry back, explaining that Nora wouldn't want him to be alone, and took him away from the scene.

Remembering the feeling of wanting to escape that scene, Barry finally wakes from his coma. However, he is far from his hospital bed. The sheer power of his emotional response had sent his body running without his mind realizing it. He had run all the way to Africa in a matter of seconds.

Three weeks later, Barry had returned to Central City, and he and Darryl were enjoying a moment together in the park. Barry explained that he would never have got through his hospitalization if he hadn't had family to support him, stating that Darryl had been as much a father to him, if not better, than his real one. Happily, Darryl admitted that while many people think that he had done Barry a favour by taking him in, it was Barry who helped him become the Captain he was.

Thinking on how much the police badge meant to Darryl, Barry decided to come up with his own badge or symbol. It took several designs, but eventually, he designed the costume and the ring that would hold it. He became the Flash. As the super fast vigilante, he thwarted his first bank robbery, and introduced himself to Central City's underworld.

Barry eventually returned to visit his father in prison, despite Henry's confession. While he was there, one of the thugs he caught earlier began trying to make an escape, and Barry helped catch him. However, one of the nearby guards accidentally left the door to the prisoners' area open, and Henry began trying to sneak through it. Sternly, Barry closed the door in front of him, stating that when his father left prison, it would be as a free man, because the evidence had proved he was innocent. Confused, Henry reminded that he had already confessed to Nora's murder. Regardless, Barry explained that he would keep looking, as he had every year, because he would never give up on the man who had raised him.

Barry no longer needed his father to be innocent, he simply wanted him to be. All that had happened, including his mother's death, had made him who he is today: Barry Allen, the fastest man alive; The Flash.

Notes

This book was first published on September 26, 2012.

It is implied in this issue that Nora Allen may have had a romantic affair with Darryl Frye, who later took Barry in.